The first time I saw the Winnie the Pooh movie (open TODAY, July 15th!!)when I was in LA, I loved it. I knew I would- I have such fond memories of reading the A.A. Milne books as a child with my mom and well, I grew up with Pooh, Tigger, Kanga, Roo and Eeyore. The Hundred Acre Wood was in my imagination just as it was in Christopher Robin’s…and oh, the memories and nostalgia I felt when I watched this movie for the first time….and I think what I loved so very much about it is that the folks at Disney kept the friends as I knew them growing up- they weren’t older, nor different, they weren’t better, definitely not smarter, although maybe, just maybe, they were a little quicker on the reply…this made me so happy.

So Disney, this is my official THANK YOU for keepin’ it real. Really, truly. I only wish my mom could see it with me. Then it’d be just perfect.

Last weekend, I got to take my kids to the screening of the movie. My kids have not been to too many movies in the theater, and the littlest one isn’t quite 2 so she’s never been…but I decided to bring them all. Sure, people told me I was brave, bringing three little kids solo to a theater, but the gift I brought Baby B home from my trip was a big, stuffed, snuggly soft Pooh Bear that she’s toted around ever since. “Ba-yer” goes everywhere with her- he sits in a chair near hers when she eats, and goes for rides in the dump truck and stroller around the house. Pooh is not to be missed when it’s time for bed, either, or things get ugly. So you can see, I had to bring her to see her beloved pal on the big screen. So, I took my 23 month old with us to her first movie.

We got all settled in and even when the lights went dark the baby didn’t get scared, she just said OH WOW looking at the screen. Once she saw Pooh she was entranced. My little guy, he didn’t move a muscle the whole movie. I’m serious. He loved it. I know he did because the whole ride home, he spoke to me about his new ‘friends’ the way I remember speaking of the same friends when I was a kid. Busy loved it too- and since she’s a reader she loved the way the characters interacted with the pages of the book and interrupted the letters and paragraphs…she thought that was so neat. All three kids loved this movie as much as I did. Enough that we may just go see it again in the theater!!

There weren’t too many people in the theater with us, which was surprising to me, but those who were there, loved the movie. I heard the adults laugh when I did, and I think they felt as I did- that this was a great way to have a shared experience from our childhood with our own children. I was sure to tell everyone before the film started to be SURE to stay all the way through the credits, because there’s things you won’t want to miss- and most everyone did stay, and several commented to me on the way out that they were glad they’d stayed as well.

The movie opens with the narrator trying to wake Pooh up, who, as always, has a rumbly in his tummy and goes on a search for honey since he hasn’t any at home, and comes across Eeyore who has lost his tail- and the resulting story is the tale of looking for a new tail for Eeyore, and all the mishaps and silly things that the Hundred Acre Wood friends have along the way. Of course, nothing is every simple and straightforward with the Hundred Acre Wood friends…and thanks to Owl and his reading skills, the friends are left to think that a creature called the Backson has kidnapped Christopher Robin and the hunt for Eeyore’s tail is put to the side for a time…

If you haven’t already checked it out, you can hear ME voicing Piglet in one of the scenes from the movie here…please, please do not laugh. It took me a long time to publish a video of me so nervous on the internet…but seriously? How many times in life do you get to head into a voice recording session at Disney to be the voice of Piglet and then have the clip to keep forever and ever?!

After you check my Disney voice debut (oddly, they haven’t called to cast me in any future Pooh films, although maybe they are just waiting a bit so as not to seem too anxious)…check these fun printable crafts and activities to go along with the movie!!

Here’s a clip of Owl’s Cold (voiced by Craig Ferguson-hilarious!!) that you will love, my friends!! I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this movie!! This is one of my 3 favorite scenes from the film.

I screened this film in LA and again here in CT courtesy of Disney. All opinions expressed within are my own. [ad#glam between posts]

Awww I think you did great as Piglet. That would have been so amazingly fun!

I can’t wait to see the movie, it looks so cute. One day the commercial came on and I go excited and ever since then ever time it comes on my niece goes “You want to see that really bad huh?” I’m glad to hear it will live up to my expectations =)